Smoky Mountain Fraser Fir Trees, America’s Favorite Christmas Tree

Smoky Mountain Fraser Fir Trees, America’s Favorite Christmas Tree.  The Fraser fir, which can reach some 55-feet tall in the wild, is the only fir tree native to the Great Smokies, and is found only in Southern Appalachia at elevations above 3,900 feet.

This iconic pyramid-shaped seasonal symbol of the Great Smoky Mountains, noted for its long fragrant needles, can take more than 12 years to reach a height of six feet. The Fraser fir is hands-down the most popular Christmas tree in North America and has been selected 13 times to grace the white house grounds as the Nation’s Christmas tree.

Not only a beautiful evergreen, the Fraser fir also provides a vital habitat for some of the mountains’ rare plants and animals- including the Northern Flying Squirrel, Weller’s Salamander and the Spruce Fir-Moss Spider.

Named for Scottish botanist John Fraser in the 1800’s, the fir is one of the nation’s most endangered trees. Insect blight from the Balsam Wooly Adelgid as well as ongoing problems brought on by climate change are a constant threat to firs in the wild as well as those grown on commercial farms. Fraser firs are an economic staple in the mountains and more than 50 million of these evergreens occupy some 39,000 acres on tree farms in Western North Carolina.

Searching for the perfect Christmas tree is a personal and (more often than not) family tradition. Loading up the kids and heading to the nearest cut-your-own tree farm makes for some special holiday memories. Walking down row after row of a green forest in frosty winter weather before selecting and cutting the absolute perfect tree is a fun way for adults and kids to kick off the holiday season. Most farms feature a rustic stand at the edge of the fir forest where families can enjoy mugs of steaming hot chocolate before visiting with the velvet and fur-clad resident Santa and more than a few elves.

Tree safety tips

Before heading out to buy a tree, think about the room where the tree will be located. Leave at least 6-inches between the tip of the tree and the ceiling. Don’t forget to factor in the height of the tree stand as well.

Plan to place trees away from heat sources and direct sunlight if possible.

Either cut your own tree or buy a freshly cut tree from a reputable tree farm. Many pre-cut trees were likely cut weeks before arriving for sale.

Cut off at least two inches at the bottom of the trunk. This helps the tree absorb water. REMEMBER trees can take in as much of a gallon of water a day, so WATER DAILY! (One Connecticut tree farm recommends boiling a gallon of water and dissolving one cup of sugar into the water; let cool then add the mixture to your tree stand at first and then follow with fresh plain water daily.)

Frequently falling needles indicate that the tree is becoming a fire hazard.

We love to see your photos of Fraser firs. Got a hiking pic of one? Or maybe one decorated for the holidays? Send it to us via our social media and spread the holiday cheer!

Great Smoky Mountain Annual Festival Of Christmas Past

Great Smoky Mountain Annual Festival Of Christmas Past Saturday, December 14, 2019. The event will be held at Sugarlands Visitor Center beginning at 9:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

This event is family friendly so make plans to bring your entire bunch. Many activities are planned including  mountain skills demonstrations, Christmas caroling, shape note singing, live traditional mountain music, and a fascinating living history walking tour. Park staff and visitors have developed a unique, immersive experience allowing you to make a journey through different holiday traditions from the last century. These traditions will be displayed in exhibits of hand made decorations, Christmas toys and more! Hot apple cider will be available to take the chill off your bones so come thirsty!

“This year we wanted to connect our visitors to Christmas through the decades with the creative vision and talent of our staff, volunteers, and local decorators Barry Phillips and Tracie Story,” said North District Resource Education Supervisor Stephanie Sutton. “The Festival of Christmas Past allows us to pause and remember some of these valuable holiday traditions.”

The ‘Christmas Memories Walk’ will begin at 1:00 p.m. Costumed interpreters will bring the history of the Smokies to life shining light on significant moments leading to the park’s establishment.

Program Schedule:

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.    Traditional Shape Note Singing

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon  Music by Boogertown Gap

12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.    Music by the Lost Mill String Band

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.       Smoky Mountain Historical Society

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.       Christmas Memories Walk

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.       Music by Mike and Kathy Gwinn

Sugarlands Visitor Center is located on Newfound Gap Road, two miles south of Gatlinburg, TN.  For more information, call the visitor center at 865-436-1291.

Smoky Mountain Online Banking

 

Smoky Mountain Online Banking. Paying attention to a few details can go a long way toward boosting your online banking security.

Online banking can greatly simplify your life, allowing you to make a mortgage payment or check an account balance anywhere with just a few clicks. But ignoring online banking best practices can leave you vulnerable to hacking. Follow these online banking safety tips to help keep your digital financial life simple — and secure.

Get password savvy

One recent study found that over 23 million users had passwords that included “123456” in the string. That’s a hack waiting to happen. Random collections of completely unrelated characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols are best. One idea is to choose a phrase or mantra (“Travelmorethisyear19&) or song lyric and add a unique numeric code (“Storyofmylife75!”). Occasionally change your password, especially if your financial institution announces that hackers have stolen credentials from some users, and never use the same password you’ve used somewhere else.

Two-factor is your friend

When you sign up for two-factor authentication (2FA) with your bank, you need both a password and a special code to access your accounts. That may be a text message or a mobile app that gives you an access code every time you try to log in to your account. Password-protect your laptop and smartphone, too.

Do a regular check-in

Make an appointment on your calendar to regularly check your accounts for debits or transfers you don’t recognize. You can also sign up for text or email alerts about suspicious activity, online transactions or purchases above a certain threshold.

Beware the phishing scams

Hackers have gotten more sophisticated, spoofing your bank’s logos and language to send emails that seem to be legitimate. These are commonly called phishing scams, and they typically allude to a problem with an account that needs a fix — immediately. However, once you click on a link, you’re directed to a fake site that asks for your username and password, which is where the hackers are able to nab your digital details. If you receive an email that looks suspicious or asks for personal information, call your bank instead at the phone number you know is correct, not the number in the email — and don’t click on any links.

Take note of public Wi-Fi

If you’re in a public spot such as a coffee shop and log in to that free wireless option, a hacker may be able to more easily access the network. Instead, use your cellular network or your smartphone as a hotspot for your computer. Or, wait until you’ve accessed your secure home network to dig into your bank account.

Keep devices updated

Tech companies are constantly monitoring their software for weak spots or security breaches and often release updates to help fix those issues. Set up your devices for automatic updates.

For more information contact Lee Lofton, State Farm.

Smoky Mountain Long Cold Full Moon

Smoky Mountain Long Cold Full Moon is on the rise! The final full moon for 2019 and the decade will reach its apex at 12:12 a.m. on December 12th. This lunar event is sometimes called the “Long Night’s Moon” or the “Full Cold Moon.” During this moon phase the moon will sit above the horizon much longer than it normally does.

The “Long Cold” moon is the harbinger of the bleakness associated with the beginning of winter. This event is followed by colder average temperatures and more hours of darkness. The winter solstice (the official start of winter) occurs on December 21st, a full week after the Long Cold Moon.

Be on the lookout for the moon to appear a few minutes before sunset. The moon should be visible in the Smoky Mountains by 5:10 p.m. That time assumes you are in a spot with a good vantage point like Clingmans Dome or Cades Cove. If you are down in a deep holler it could be much later and depending on the surrounding mountains you may not see the moon at all.

Bonus Smoky Mountain Astrological Tip – Don’t miss the Geminid Meteor Shower! This is the most active meteor shower of the year and you should be able to see hundreds of meteors in a few hours. This event happens early to mid December each year. Typically the best viewing is December 13th. This year the show may be a little more difficult to see thanks to its competition with the moon. With the Full Cold moon happening almost in unison with the shower the sky will be brighter than normal. Try your luck around 9:00 p.m. on the 13th by looking toward the darkest region of sky in your area.

Watching the full moon rise and counting meteors is a Smoky Mountain tradition for the team at HeySmokies.com. We count shooting stars until our neck hurts and then we count some more. We will be making a special shooting star wish for peace and happiness for all our HeySmokies fans! We appreciate your support this year and look forward to sharing more of our Smoky Mountain secrets with you in the new year! We hope all of your shooting star wishes come true!

Smoky Mountain Winterfest

Smoky Mountain Winterfest begins November 22, 2019 and runs through February 15, 2020. This celebration of light gives our mountain communities in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg new life during the cold winter months.

There will be amazing holiday lights on display, trolley tours, parades, and Christmas shows this winter in the Smokies. The lights are easy to find along Highway 66 and the Parkway. Many area landmarks get in on the fun and light up their properties too! The Titanic museum in Pigeon Forge magically changes into a winter wonderland becoming the epitome of grace and splendor! Everyone’s favorite historical spot, The Old Mill, gets in the spirit with a colorful covered bridge made with thousands of twinkling lights. The Space Needle, in Gatlinburg, will lift your spirits in more ways than one. Its festive lighting system can be seen from all over town and the summit of Mount LeConte!

There will be many special events for the entire family to enjoy during this time including the Gatlinburg Chili Cook Off and Smoky Mountain Tunes And Tales. Even Old Saint Nick himself can get a little inspiration with all of this going on. Who knows? He may make a special appearance at the Gatlinburg Fantasy of Lights Parade in Gatlinburg on December 6th to get a few ideas for the North Pole.

Make plans to bring your entire family to the mountains this winter and experience the wonder of Smoky Mountain Winterfest for yourself. You will be glad you did!